Experts share their tips to reduce your carbon footprint and create a safer living space for an eco friendly house or apartment.
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Did you know that Americans spend an average of 90% of their time indoors? With the majority of our lives spent inside, it is important to create an eco-friendly space in which to reside. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the commercial and residential sector accounted for 13% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2021. Factors that contributed to this environmental impact include heating and cooling systems, refrigeration, electricity use, and waste creation. Making your house or apartment more environmentally friendly means examining these factors that lead to high greenhouse gas emissions.
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It is true that homeowners have a lot more say over what projects occur in their homes, but that’s not to say renters aren’t able to upgrade their spaces as well. It is possible (and fairly easy) to make eco-friendly changes to your rental. So, we’ve asked experts in the environmental and interior design fields to weigh in on how to create a more environmentally friendly space wherever you’re living. Lauren Click, Founder and Executive Director of Let’s Go Compost, shares her insight on at-home composting, while Mariya Snisar, Head of Interior Design at Renowell, emphasizes the importance of selecting low-VOC paints and finishes.
Keep reading to discover a comprehensive list of eco-conscious changes to make to your apartment.
Improve Insulation
Installing proper insulation in a home is a simple way to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When a room is well insulated, it is harder for heat in the summer or cold air in the winter to enter the home. Insulation also keeps heat and air conditioning from escaping. This means less energy is needed to regulate a room’s temperature, reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides. A few easy ways to improve insulation in your apartment include covering floors with thick carpets, investing in draft stoppers for doors and windows, installing insulation film on windows, and adding thermal blinds to windows.
Try Composting
When many people think of composting, they picture worms, bugs, garbage, and filth. Composting, however, is not this messy, dirty project many believe it to be. Lauren Click, Founder and Executive Director of Let’s Go Compost, a non-profit with a mission to make composting free and accessible in the U.S., states there are numerous ways to compost. One composting avenue to check out is curbside compost collection. Click shares, “Similar to a trash or recycling pick up, most cities have at least one curbside compost collection program (normally hosted by a local farmer) who use 5-gallon buckets to collect your food waste.” Simply collect your compostable waste throughout the week/month and create arrangements for it to be collected. Looking to dive deeper into composting? Other techniques include using an electric composter and traditional worm composting.
Use Low-VOC Paints and Finishes
The most important aspect of the paint you choose for your apartment is not the color, but rather the compound. VOC stands for volatile organic compound, a potentially poisonous compound often found in paints. Side effects of exposure to high-VOC paints include ear, nose, and throat irritation and chronic headaches. VOCs can also cause environmental damage, creating a toxic substance when combined with carbon dioxide or methane. Mariya Snisar, Head of Interior Design at Renowell, argues, “Opting for low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and finishes is essential. These products emit fewer harmful chemicals, creating a healthier indoor environment while reducing the release of pollutants into the atmosphere.” A quick Google search for “low-VOC paint” or “zero-VOC paint” yields plenty of eco-friendly and healthy paint options.
Switch to Green Products
Another renter-friendly tip to make your apartment more eco-friendly is to make the switch to green cleaning and household products. Many popular cleaning products contain harmful chemicals that are bad for both the planet and ourselves. Tom Keenes, Director at Honest Supplies, explains, “Eco-friendly living isn’t just about the planet; it’s also about personal health and well-being. Products like Honest Supplies toilet paper, which are free from harmful chemicals, promote a healthier living environment. Reducing exposure to toxins benefits you and your loved ones by improving indoor air quality and reducing the risk of health issues.” Being mindful of what ingredients are in your household products is of the utmost importance and a great way to be more mindful of your environmental impact. Avoid products that contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and ammonia. If you are the do-it-yourself type, consider creating your own DIY, eco-friendly, all purpose cleaning products.
Reduce Paper Waste
Did you know that paper makes up about 26% of waste found in landfills? An easy way to be more sustainable and make your apartment more environmentally friendly is to reduce the amount of paper waste you produce in your home. Marine André, Home Organizer and CSR Expert at En route to Joy, advises rethinking your approach to book buying. “My radical approach is to use the local library: this is a very green approach since you’re not buying one book for one person.” André also recommends unsubscribing from physical magazines and newspapers. Consider switching to digital news stories or checking out magazines from your local library. Other ways to go paperless in your apartment include writing to-do lists on your phone instead of a notepad and utilizing file and notes apps on your electronic devices.
Swap Old Light Bulbs for LED Bulbs
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends the use of light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs in your apartment or house. These bulbs are more energy-efficient than traditional halogen bulbs and also last longer. Energy.gov reveals that “Residential LEDs – especially ENERGY STAR rated products – use at least 75% less energy, and last up to 25 times longer, than incandescent lighting.” These bulbs also consume lower volumes of power, emit less greenhouse gasses, do not contain harmful chemicals like mercury, and produce less light pollution, making them more efficient and better for the planet. Martin Desmond, Electrical Expert at Wizer Energy, also notes, “We’re seeing more and more people also install smart lighting controls like motion sensors and programmable timers, which can help optimize energy use by automatically turning lights off when not in use.”
Invest in Indoor Plants
It is no secret that plants are good for the environment. In nature, plants help prevent erosion, fertilize soil, create and release oxygen, and serve as food for wildlife. House plants also possess positive qualities that make your apartment more eco-friendly. Some plants hold the ability to remove airborne toxins in your home. Check out The Wellness Feed’s list of easy-to-care for houseplants that purify the air, which includes gorgeous plants such as the Boston fern and hedgehog aloe.
Properly Recycle Waste
You can have good intentions when it comes to recycling, but those efforts are useless unless you actually know how to properly recycle waste. Placing non-recyclable items in your recycling bin can result in damage to equipment at recycling facilities and contamination of recyclable materials. One of several ways to recycle better is to learn what your city can and cannot recycle. Search how and where to recycle in your area to become better acquainted with local procedures and policies.
TIP: Watch out for food contamination. Do not recycle any items with grease on them (such as a pizza box) and be sure to rinse food off jars and cans before placing them in the recycling bin.